SEATTLE — Pete Carroll and John Schneider were overjoyed during the April NFL draft when the Seattle Seahawks were able to grab Russell Wilson in the third round.

Even they couldn't anticipate that Wilson would be the Seahawks' Week 1 starter.

But that was the word from Carroll on Sunday night after he announced the undersized, but highly successful rookie quarterback from Wisconsin will be the starter when the regular season begins Sept. 9 at Arizona.

"It's been a very exciting competition that has gone on and Russell has taken full advantage of his opportunities and has done everything that we have asked for on the field and more than what you guys could know off the field in meeting rooms and with our players and how he's represented. He's earned this job," Carroll said on a conference call Sunday night.

Wilson has been a dynamic star during the preseason. For the first two weeks, his performance came against backups during the second halves of victories over Tennessee and Denver.

But what Wilson displayed during those two halves were enough for Carroll to give him the start Friday night against Kansas City. Wilson's response: 13-of-19 passing for 185 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 134.8. And if he didn't show enough with his arm, Wilson added another 58 yards rushing.

Wilson being named the starter leaves Matt Flynn on the sidelines and according to Carroll understandably disappointed.

Flynn was Seattle's big free-agent splash in the offseason and the most highly sought after quarterback not named Manning after spending the last few seasons as Aaron Rodgers backup in Green Bay. But Flynn failed to show the same flashes as Wilson during his two preseason opportunities and sat out the game in Kansas City with a sore elbow.

Seattle also cut a number of players Sunday, including wide receiver Terrell Owens.

The 38-year-old posted a message on his Twitter account shortly before 11 a.m. PDT that he had been released and the Seahawks made the move official later in the afternoon.

"I'm no longer a Seahawk. I THANK the organization 4 the opportunity, I'm truly blessed beyond belief. My FAITH is intact & will NOT waiver."

BILLS ACQUIRING JACKSON: The Buffalo Bills are negotiating to restructure the final year of Tarvaris Jackson's contract before completing a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire the seventh-year quarterback.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed the deal had been agreed to by both teams Sunday, but added the trade wasn't completed.

A person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press that the Bills were in negotiations with Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, to restructure the player's contract.

DOLPHINS TRADE DAVIS: Four days after team owner Jim Irsay ignited speculation about a possible trade with a series of Twitter posts, the Indianapolis Colts acquired former first-round draft pick Vontae Davis to solidify their secondary.

Miami will get Indy's second-round pick and a conditional, undisclosed late-round pick in the 2013 draft — a steep price for a veteran cornerback who recently lost his starting job, but one the Colts found reasonable.

Tucker went 5 for 5 on field goal tries during Baltimore's first three preseason games and showed more leg strength than the 32-year-old Cundiff. Tucker made two field goals of 50 yards or longer; Cundiff was 1 for 6 last year from that distance.